Why are so many kids today so fragile?Why
are kids today so much more likely to be anxious and/or depressed, compared
with kids from the same neighborhood,
30 years ago? How have other schools changed their school culture to help their
girls and boys to become antifragile?
How is “antifragile” different from “resilient” – and why does the difference
matter? Why is “resilience” not quite the right objective?

I
sometimes begin the workshop with a cover story from Maclean’s magazine,
September 2012, about students who were successful, doing well in school, had
lots of friends, but who then fell apart – became severely depressed, or even
committed suicide – on very short notice, with seemingly little provocation.
The article asks the question: Why are so many good kids falling apart?
Here’s the link to the story: http://www2.macleans.ca/2012/09/05/the-broken-generation/.
(Maclean’s is the most popular news magazine in Canada.)

We then cut to Nassim
Taleb’s recent book Antifragile. Taleb defines fragility as sensitivity
to volatility. If that definition is valid – and I think it is – then one
reason that so many students today are so fragile might be because their parents shield them from volatility
and uncertainty. The remedy, then, is to expose kids to more volatility,
within constraints: you don’t want your child to be run over by a truck or
abducted by strangers.

For example, consider the choice of a summer job. Thirty years ago, many of us
who were teenagers back then took a summer job doing unskilled labor, waiting
tables or washing dishes. Today, many parents encourage their teenage daughters
and sons to take unpaid summer internships with prestigious companies, or to do
some sort of academic summer camp so as to be better-prepared for the fall. I
will present evidence that the summer job waiting tables at an average
restaurant may be better preparation for real life. Having crabby customers
yell at you, and being yelled at by a boss who doesn’t care about your
feelings, is exactly the exposure to volatility which Taleb prescribes
in order to become antifragile. (Being antifragile is NOT the same thing as
being resilient, as Taleb emphasizes and as I explain.)

This workshop can be
structured for students; for teachers and counselors and school administrators;
and for parents. The more stakeholders we can involve in the community, the
greater the likelihood that we can really make a difference. When I meet with
students, the workshop is conversational in format. We consider how the
emphasis on grades and test scores and extra-curricular activities and putting
together the perfect post-secondary application can be corrosive, a “race to
nowhere.” What’s the alternative? What’s the difference between preparation for
university and preparation for life? The differences are substantial,
and success in one does not guarantee success in the other.

The workshop for teachers
and counselors and school administrators highlights how we can broaden the
culture of the school so that each student has multiple metrics of success and
multiple avenues of communication with teachers and staff. We also discuss the
current state of teacher-parent relations at that particular school. At some
schools, some parents have adopted an adversarial tone with teachers. In the
workshop for teachers and in the presentation for parents, we consider how
counter-productive and unhelpful that adversarial tone is. Parents and teachers
both want students to succeed; they are on the same team. So the bulk of the
workshop, both for teachers and for parents, is about what is required to help
children and teenagers develop the characteristic which Taleb describes as
“antifragile”, and how that’s different from robustness and resilience.

More information about me –
my background, my education, my experience as a physician and a psychologist,
the previous schools where I have led workshops, and other training workshops I
offer – is available atwww.leonardsax.com.

“Dr. Sax’s presentation was wonderful beyond words. We were blown away
by the material, which was presented in a clear, sophisticated and thoughtful
manner. We are grateful to Dr. Sax for sharing his immense expertise with us.
Many families and children will benefit from the information he imparted.”

“Everybody at Merchiston commented favourably
on Dr. Sax’s sessions yesterday.He is
impressive and knowledgeable across so many fields.Every assertion was backed up with evidence.We would love to have him back at Merchiston
for seven to ten days.I learned a huge
amount and so did everybody else. Of all the presentations we have had in my
years at Merchiston, Dr. Sax’s was by far and away the most impressive.”

“Dr. Sax is the Al Gore of the gender
crisis.He has EDUCATED us about the
nature and scope of the problem.He has
WARNED us about the consequences of doing nothing.And he has INSPIRED us to take action in our
schools and in our communities.”

Michael Halfin, Huron Heights Secondary School, Newmarket, Ontario

“Of all the sessions I attended, Dr. Sax’s was
the only one which gave me concrete information I could use in the classroom.”

“What an impressive evening!We have never before been to an event where 600 folks sat, spellbound
for two and a half hours, laughing every 3 minutes and uttering ‘Wow’ every 5.”

Steven Masters, Saltus School, Hamilton, Bermuda

“I stayed up past midnight talking with my
colleagues about what I heard at Dr. Sax’s presenta­tion earlier that day.His talk was brilliant and inspiring.I confess to feeling a poverty of words in
trying to convey how much I enjoyed hearing Dr. Sax and how much I appreciate
what he is doing.”

“Dr. Sax gave a
fabulous presentation at the Niagara Principals’ conference.My colleagues are still all aglow with what
they heard and have purchased more than 200 of his books through a local
provider – I know, because I arranged the sale.We would very much like to have him back.”

Gary King, vice principal, Lakeview Public School, Grimsby,
Ontario

“I have been providing professional development programs for
educators in St. Louis for nine years and no one comes close to Dr. Sax in
style or content. I can’t tell you how
informative Dr. Sax’s session was for me.I hope I will have the oppor­tunity to listen to Dr. Sax again.”

Genie
Newport, Director, Independent Schools of St. Louis

“I am usually
pessimistic about learning anything useful at the workshops required by our
school district.It was a stroke of luck
that I attended Dr. Sax’s session.What
was so rewarding in his presentation was that it helped me to understand why
some things have worked well for me in the classroom while others have
not.I now see the behavior of my
students in a new way.”

Jonathan Lind, Sudley Elementary School, Manassas, Virginia

“Dr. Sax gave a
fabulous presentation to our parents last evening. Awesome.This was the biggest crowd we’ve ever been
able to attract for a speaker, and Dr. Sax graciously stayed well beyond his
contracted time to accommodate all.His
insights, all thoroughly supported by research, were at times mind-blowing, and
his sense of humor just added to a totally enjoyable night.”

Linda D’Orlando, West Windsor – Plainsboro Public Schools, New
Jersey

“I was profoundly impressed by the information
which Dr. Sax shared with us.I also
appreci­ated his style of presentation:a logical sequence of ideas supported by compelling evidence.

An excellent
presentation.”

Don Comeau, Clear Water Academy, Calgary, Alberta

My three books Why
Gender Matters, Boys Adrift, and Girls on the Edge:

Girls on the Edge:“This is
essential reading for parents and teachers, and one of the most
thought-provoking books on teen development available.”

Library Journal

“Packed with concrete suggestions for parents, Girls on the Edge is a treasure trove of rarely-seen research on
girls. Dr. Sax’s commitment to girls’ success comes through on every page.”

Rachel
Simmons,author of Odd Girl Out and The Curse of the Good Girl

Girls on the Edge:“The best book
about the current state of girls and young women. . . offers astonishing and
troubling new insight . . .”

The
Atlantic

“Until recently, there have been two groups of people: those
who argue sex differences are innate and should be embraced and those who
insist that they are learned and should be eliminated. Sax is one of the few in
the middle -- convinced that boys and girls are innately different and that we
must change the environment so differences don't become limitations."